WHAT’S THE STORY? 

Click HERE to tell us YOUR story

      

As a Staffordshire shooter, whatever your discipline, whatever your standard, we would love to get to know a little more about you.

Fill in a short form here with some basic information and we’ll publish a few here as well as on our Facebook and Instagram.

If you can, drop us a line on Facebook Messenger to let us know when you've made a submission, just so we know to pick it up.

Thank you!

Steve Kilner
Vice-Chairman and Joint Secretary, Staffordshire CPSA

      

Staffordshire CPSA - BE PART OF OUR STORY

*********************************************

WHAT'S THE STORY - WITH LAUREN OAKES 

 

Hot off the back of our first Staffordshire Ladies Day, it’s great to hear from one of our talented young up and coming female shots, Lauren Oakes.  Lauren kindly shared some of her shooting story with us......

 

Name: Lauren Oakes

Are you registered with the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association? Yes

Do you shoot Clay Pigeon Shooting Association registered events? Yes

What are your favourite or preferred shooting disciplines? English Sporting

For approximately how many years have you been shooting for? 7 months

    

How did you get into shooting?  

I have always loved shooting.  My grandparents had shotguns and it seems to have skipped a generation and landed on me!  I first picked up a shotgun in the 'Have a go' stand at the Midland Game Fair in 2019 with the CPSA.

Which gun(s) do you typically use for your preferred shooting discipline(s)?

Browning B525 multichoke invector.

Favourite Shooting Ground(s) - both inside and outside of Staffordshire?

Garlands is my favourite so far.  Sporting Targets was brilliant.

Have you ever shot for Staffordshire? No

If yes, anything you can tell us about your experiences? If no, would you be interested in shooting for Staffordshire in the future and in what discipline(s)?

I am a sporting shooter, it would be lovely to shoot for my county.

Do you have any tips for being a better shooter?

Get a good coach - I use Cheryl Hall.

What do you enjoy the most about shooting?

Being able to progress.  I have always had horses so the goal was to improve the animal.  In this sport it’s all about you and your head.  I think the brain has been THE hardest thing to train.  So when I do progress, I am very proud of that.

What are your shooting highlights to date?

I have only been shooting 7 months.  So far, I have achieved a personal best of 75% at Garlands, and then achieved 3 very good scores in my first 3 CPS competitions - 57%, 66% and then 62%. The targets at CPSA comps have been very tricky but I feel I have had a strong start!

Do you have any particular ambitions for the future as a shooter?

The ambition is to shoot anywhere and everywhere - UK, Europe - the world! I would love to compete for my country, so lets see what happens.

Is there someone who has inspired you along your shooting journey or a sponsor(s) that you wish to thank?

My other half Adam, bless him!  He has taken so much of his own time introducing me to the sport, bought my gun for me for my birthday in 2022.  I drag him everywhere with me.

Anything else you'd like to add?

I would like to thank Decibullz UK for their support so far, they are a company I truly believe in!  I've been shooting consistently since July 2022 and they have looked after me so well.  And thank you to all my friends who have supported me, I've had a wonderful introduction to this world.

THANK YOU, Lauren!  We love how you’ve got big ambitions in the sport but that shooting for Staffordshire is very much one of them.  Let’s hope so!!

Lovely to read about your shooting story – your enthusiasm shines through and that will go a long way to helping you to achieve your ambitions.  We’re looking forward to being there with you along that journey.

If you would like to share your story, please go to our website, click on the lick and fill in a short form: https://sites.cpsa.co.uk/staffordshire/what-s-the-story

Steve Kilner, Vice-Chair and Secretary - Staffordshire CPSA

*********************************************

WHAT'S THE STORY - WITH KATE POYSER 

Name: Kate Poyser

Are you registered with the CPSA? Yes

Do you shoot CPSA registered events? Yes

What are your favourite or preferred shooting disciplines?

- English Sporting

For approximately how many years have you been shooting for? 3

How did you get into shooting?

I had always fancied giving it a go for many years but never found the courage to go and try it on my own. Then one day I thought, sod it, I'm going to go and try it! And that's where the passion started.....

Which gun do you typically use for your preferred shooting discipline?

Berreta Vitoria

Favourite Shooting Grounds - both inside and outside of Staffordshire?

- Kingsley Moor as it's local to me. You will find me there for most of their Sunday shoots.

- Mickley Hall always has some good sporting targets on, and good food in the cafe - always important thing to factor in!

- Hodnet is a nice ground.

- Doveridge if I'm practicing English Skeet/ABT.

Have you ever shot for Staffordshire? Yes

If yes, anything you can tell us about your experiences? 

It was a scary day to start with, thinking I wasn't good enough to be shooting an Inter Counties competition, representing Staffordshire and was going to make fool of myself. But I need not have worried.

Everyone in Staffs CPSA gave me great support and so did all the other competitors. No one was there to judge anyone else, as they all knew each other. Everyone has those days where you can't hit a barn door and even the best miss the odd tricky clay, so I've learnt to enjoy it, taking each stand as it comes.

Do you have any tips for being a better shooter?

Find a good coach that will work with you to develop your shooting style. Listen to their advice and trust in that.

I've found in shooting that each shooter has a different approach to dusting a clay, and are often willing to share their techniques with you, which might not work for your own personal shooting style. Listening to all this differing advice can make your head spin. So get a good coach and stick to their advice.

So who's my coach? The brilliant (he has to be to put up with me) Miles Machin!

What do you enjoy the most about shooting?

Where to start?

Seeing a clay turn to dust, as you've got everything right and hit it smack on is brilliant.

The friends you make. - it's a very friendly sport!

Shooting is the only sport I know where you can be a novice shooter but go out shooting and be in the same squad as people who compete at the highest level of shooting, including Olympic and English champions.

Shooting is open to everyone; the old, the young, men, women, people with disabilities. Absolutely everyone is welcome.

What are your shooting highlights to date?

Joining the ladies clay shooting league, which allowed me to start my shooting journey in a friendly environment while making some absolutely cracking mates along the way.

Becoming part of the Staffs CPSA committee, meeting the other amazing committee members and having the opportunity to get involved in shaping the future of shooting for any Staffordshire CPSA members, current and future!

Do you have any particular ambitions for the future as a shooter?

To keeping practicing, and working on getting my % hit rate up.

Is there someone who has inspired you along your shooting journey or a sponsor(s) that you wish to thank?

There's been a few-

Miles Machin - he has the job of making me believe in myself, which on a bad shooting day is no easy task!

Steve Kilner and Valerie-Anne Barrow of Staffs CPSA. Their positivity and passion for shooting, along with wanting to get everyone involved is the reason I became inspired to join the Staffs CPSA committee. So it's a big thank you to them for that. They really opened a few more doors for me in terms or shooting different disciplines, going out to compete and meeting even more great people to shoot with.

Anything else you'd like to add?

If you're thinking of starting shooting but it all seems too scary and you don't know where to start, then don't worry, get in touch with your local CPSA or join the ladies clay shooting league and they will show you the way to go. You won't look back, trust me on that!

 

That's a great read, thanks Kate and some excellent advice there for shooters. We're delighted you're involved in the committee and you've already made a really positive contribution to that - THANK YOU. And knowing your determination and the good people around you, there's no doubt at all in our minds you'll achieve your shooting goals. We're looking forward to being with you along the way.

If you would like to share your story, please click on the link at the top and fill in a short Google form.

PHOTOS:

1. Shooting for Staffordshire Ladies team in the ESP Inter Counties at Westfield last October.

2. Practicing at Mickley Hall with Miles.

3. Shooting with good friends in the ladies clay shooting league.

4. Always important to have sensible headgear when shooting

Steve Kilner, Vice-Chairman and Joint Secretary, Staffordshire CPSA

  

*********************************************

WHAT'S THE STORY - WITH CAROLE HOLMES 

Massive thanks to Carole Holmes who has kindly shared some of her shooting story with us......

Name: Carole Wilson

Are you registered with the CPSA? Yes

Do you shoot CPSA registered events? Yes

What are your favourite or preferred shooting disciplines?

- Automatic Ball Trap

- DTL

- English Sporting

For approximately how many years have you been shooting for? 45

How did you get into shooting?

Down the pub with friends......introduced me to DTL which I used to shoot on a Sunday afternoon.

Which gun(s) do you typically use for your preferred shooting discipline(s)?

Zoli Bella

Favourite Shooting Ground(s) - both inside and outside of Staffordshire?

I like them all.

Have you ever shot for Staffordshire? Yes

If yes, anything you can tell us about your experiences? If no, would you be interested in shooting for Staffordshire in the future and in what discipline(s)?

Made many new friends and has given me the confidence to improve.

Do you have any tips for being a better shooter?

Practice, practice and keep practicing! Be determined and enthusiastic.

What do you enjoy the most about shooting?

Gets me away from working all the time and meeting like minded people.

What are your shooting highlights to date?

Winning a few DTL National Farming Union shoots years ago, and these days, seeing my scores improve after such a long break from it. Also, being on a team! (Ed: Carole shot for Staffordshire in the ESP Inter-Counties last October and will be representing the County again at the All Round Inter Counties in May)

Do you have any particular ambitions for the future as a shooter?

At my age I'm not going to shoot for England .......but if I could get in the 70-80% range in any discipline, I'll be well happy!

Is there someone who has inspired you along your shooting journey or a sponsor(s) that you wish to thank?

Valerie-Anne Barrow and Steve Kilner especially, for encouraging me and stopping me for a chat at Doveridge SG last June.

Anything else you'd like to add?

Everyone I have met since returning to shooting has been so encouraging and helpful - it has done wonders for my confidence.

 

THANK YOU Carole Holmes. Great to read about your shooting story and we're delighted that you've come back to the sport and are enjoying being involved again. And thank you for the kind words - we are very glad we bumped into you!

If you would like to share your story, please click on the link at the top and fill in a short Google form.

PHOTOS:

1. Carole with some of her friends at a shoot at Hodnet back in January.

2. Carole with the world's largest chocolate.

3. Shooting at Kingsley Moor back in the day.

4. Carole winning a shooting award back in the day. Does anyone recognise some of the people in this photo?

Steve Kilner, Vice-Chairman and Joint Secretary, Staffordshire CPSA

    

*********************************************